The game of hockey has become increasingly more popular in the United States due to the availability of more ice rink time. Although ice skating remains the more profitable business for ice rink owners, there has been an increasing need on the part of the ice rink owner to provide ice time for hockey leagues. Unfortunately, ice rinks are about the only available site for hockey players to practice hockey.
Home built ice rinks are also becoming popular. One form of a home built ice rink is top prepare am outdoor filed border and fill the inside with a plastic ground cover. Water is then injected into the enclosure to provide a skating surface. Outdoor temperatures of less than 32° degrees are required to freeze the water prior to skating.
Another form of home built skating rink is the use of synthetic ice. The use of synthetic ice for skating has been used for over 20 years to build indoor rinks. Examples of synthetic ice are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,169,688, 5,837,343, and 6,139,438.
For the player who does not have the space required for a home built rink there are a few options. Street hockey, played with a round ball is unlike ice hockey. For a beginner, there is a need for the player or a child to be able to walk out the backdoor with a device that allows the user to practice without a rink. There also exists a need for a more experienced hockey player to test the feel of a new stick on the puck in the locker room or anywhere prior to entering the rink.